Revisiting the fluoride-osteosarcoma connection in the context of Elise Bassin's findings: part 2

Serum fluoride and sialic acid levels in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is a rare malignant bone tumor most commonly occurring in children and young adults presenting with painful swelling. Various etiological factors for osteosarcoma are ionizing radiation, family history of bone disorders and cancer, chemicals (fluoride, beryllium, and vinyl chloride), and viruses. Status of fluoride levels in serum of osteosarcoma

International trends in the incidence of bone cancer are not related to drinking water fluoridation

BACKGROUND:  Because osteosarcomas may develop in rats exposed to fluoridated water, water fluoridation might pose a cancer risk to humans. METHODS:  A time trend analysis of the cumulative risk (CR) of bone cancer for the period 1958-1987 for 40 cancer registry areas showed an increased risk for young males in

Possible biologic hazards of strontium-90 and fluoridation

The accumulation in the skeleton of the ions of many elements that pass from the mammalian gastrointestinal tract into the general circulation is well known. This knowledge, however, strongly indicates that a grave medical menace may be in store for us, unless preventive measures, are. taken before it is too

Drinking water fluoridation and osteosarcoma incidence on the island of Ireland

The incidence of osteosarcoma in Northern Ireland was compared with that in the Republic of Ireland to establish if differences in incidence between the two regions could be related to their different drinking water fluoridation policies. Data from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) and the National Cancer Registry of

Fluoride & Osteosarcoma: A Timeline

Several human epidemiological studies have found an association between fluoride in drinking water and the occurrence of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in young males. These studies are consistent with the National Toxicology Program's (NTP) cancer bioassay which found that fluoride-treated male rats had an dose-dependent increase in osteosarcoma. Although a number of studies have failed to detect an association between fluoride and osteosarcoma, none of these studies have measured the risk of fluoride at specific windows in time, which based on recent results, is the critical question with respect to fluoride and osteosarcoma.

Fluoride/Osteosarcoma Link Is Biologically Plausible

The "biological plausiblility" of a fluoride-osteosarcoma link is widely acknowledged in the scientific literature. The biological plausibility centers around three facts: 1) Bone is the principal site of fluoride accumulation, particularly during the growth spurts of childhood; 2) Fluoride is a mutagen when present at sufficient concentrations, and 3) Fluoride can stimulate the proliferation of osteoblasts (bone-forming cells).

Fluoride's Mutagenicity: In vivo Studies

Consistent with dozens of in vitro studies, a number of in vivo studies, in both humans and animals, have found evidence of fluoride-induced genetic damage. In particular, research on humans exposed to high levels of fluoride have found increased levels of "sister chromatid exchange" (SCE). As noted in one study: "In

Fluoride's Mutagenicity: In vitro Studies

According to the National Toxicology Program, "the preponderance of evidence" from laboratory "in vitro" studies indicate that fluoride is a mutagenic compound. Many substances which are mutagens, are also carcinogens (i.e. they can cause cancer). As is typical for in vitro studies, the concentrations of fluoride that have generally been tested

NTP Bioassay on Fluoride/Cancer (1990)

In 1977, the U.S. Congress requested that animal studies be conducted to determine if fluoride can cause cancer. The result of the Congressional request was an extensive animal study conducted in the 1980s by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and published in 1990. The main finding of NTP's study was a dose-dependent increase in osteosarcoma (bone cancer) among the fluoride-treated male rats.